On January 13 around 2 a.m., a 44-year-old Birmingham Police Department (BPD) sergeant was killed and a 27-year-old BPD police officer was injured while answering a call for service regarding two subjects tampering with vehicles. The incident was captured on a body camera worn by the 27-year-old officer. Shortly before the incident, a plain-clothed officer called for backup after he observed the subjects attempting to enter parked vehicles by pulling on door handles. Three uniformed officers in body armor, including the sergeant and the 27-year-old officer, arrived at the scene and made contact with the subjects, now seated in their own vehicle. The officers smelled burnt marijuana and observed an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. The sergeant, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 21 years of experience, removed the front-seat passenger from the vehicle and handcuffed him. The other two officers removed the second subject from the driver’s seat of the vehicle, patted him down, and found a substance they believed to be marijuana in his right front pants pocket. The two officers attempted to handcuff the subject, but he struggled with them. During the altercation, he drew a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and fired one round, which struck the sergeant, who was standing on the other side of the vehicle, in the front of his head. The offender continued to fire his weapon and struggle with the two other officers. In all, the offender fired eight rounds. One of the uniformed officers disengaged from the offender, drew her duty weapon, and fired three rounds at the offender, striking him and causing him to drop to the ground and cease struggling. During the altercation, the 27-year-old officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in the front upper torso/chest, rear upper torso/back, rear lower torso/back, and front lower torso/abdomen. Although the victim officer was wearing body armor, he was injured when a round entered his vest through the armhole/shoulder area. Emergency personnel transported the victim sergeant to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The injured officer and the offender were also transported to the hospital for treatment. The 31-year-old offender, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was wounded by three rounds. He was arrested and charged with Capital Murder, two counts of Attempted Murder, Certain Person Forbidden to Carry Pistol, Receiving Stolen Property, and First-Degree Possession of Marijuana. His criminal history includes charges for a drug law violation, a weapons violation, resisting arrest, and robbery. The injured officer has since returned to work.

 *****

On December 6 at 4:15 p.m., a 48-year-old agent with the Huntsville Police Department was shot and killed during a tactical situation regarding a drug-related matter. The veteran agent, who had 14 years of law enforcement experience, was among a group of drug agents who were using a vacant house in a buy-and-bust operation. Not knowing that a subject had arrived and parked his vehicle out of the agents’ view, the agents heard a knock at the door. The subject then opened the door with a firearm in his hand and saw the agents, who were in plain clothes but wearing badges and body armor outside their clothes with visible law enforcement markings. He fired multiple rounds from a 9 mm automatic handgun, which was later discovered to have been illegally modified from a semiautomatic to a fully-automatic handgun. The agent was struck in the rear upper torso and fatally wounded by a round to his shoulder (upper torso) area that entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his protective vest. Body cameras worn by the agents recorded the entire incident. The 41-year-old offender fled the scene, but agents apprehended him after a brief foot pursuit. He was charged with Capital Murder, Aggravated Assault on Police, Reckless Endangerment, Evading Arrest, Vandalism, Possession of Marijuana, Reckless Driving, and Resisting Arrest/Obstruction of Legal Process. The subject was known as a violent offender and had a history of assaulting/threatening law enforcement officers. He was on parole at the time of the incident, and his criminal history included arrests for aggravated assault (excluding officers), assault on law enforcement officers (aggravated or simple), a drug law violation, resisting arrest, and a weapons violation.

 *****

At 8:10 p.m. on November 23, a 62-year-old sheriff with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office was fatally wounded while answering a disturbance call in Hayneville. The sheriff responded to a trespassing and noise complaint at a local gas station/convenience store. A large group of people had gathered in the parking lot outside the store and refused to leave. The veteran sheriff, who had 41 years of law enforcement experience, approached a truck and spoke to the individual in the driver’s seat about the loud music coming from the truck. The suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol, displayed hostile and threatening behavior and was noncompliant with the sheriff’s verbal commands. Without warning, the suspect produced a semiautomatic handgun he had concealed in the small of his back and fired one round that struck the sheriff in the front of his head. The sheriff was pronounced deceased at the scene. Law enforcement captured the 18-year-old suspect on November 24. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder.

 *****

On January 20, just after 3 p.m., a police officer with the Mobile Police Department was killed while trying to restrain a wanted subject. The 31-year-old officer was off duty when he learned that a subject who was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant was at a nearby apartment building. Video footage from a security camera outside the apartment complex showed that the officer arrived at the location in his personally-owned vehicle and in plain clothes. The officer confronted the subject in the parking lot of the building and displayed his badge. A struggle ensued, and the subject drew a concealed firearm, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, from his waistband. The officer, a 5-year veteran of law enforcement, drew his backup firearm but was not able to fire his weapon before the subject fired three rounds at him. The officer was struck in the side head, front upper torso/chest, rear upper torso/back, and arms/hands. The officer succumbed to his wounds. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene and charged with Capital Murder. The suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident, had a criminal history that included a weapons violation.

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Arkansas

On December 7, a 27-year-old police officer with the Fayetteville Police Department was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack. The officer, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, was sitting in the driver’s seat of his patrol unit, which was parked in the lot behind the Fayetteville Police Department. At 9:42 p.m., while the officer was waiting for his partner to exit the station, a subject approached the patrol unit and shot 16 rounds at the officer from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun equipped with a laser sight. Ten rounds struck the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head, killing him. The event was recorded by an outside security camera. Responding officers shot and justifiably killed the 35-year-old suspect in an alley adjacent to the police station. He had a criminal history that included domestic violence.

 *****

On the morning of July 18, a 56-year-old sergeant with the Stone County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while answering a service call for a domestic violence circumstance in Flag. Prior to arriving at the residence, the sergeant briefly met with an assisting deputy and an investigator because he had been advised that the suspect was possibly armed. As they formed a tactical plan, the investigator determined that the suspect had a felony arrest warrant, and the deputy advised that the suspect was known to be a flight risk. Upon their arrival at 8:39 a.m., the sergeant activated his body camera and approached the front entrance of the residence. The investigator covered him with a rifle from behind a car parked nearby, and the deputy covered the back entrance of the residence. The sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with 18 years’ experience, knocked on the front door three times and announced he was with the sheriff’s office. A woman exited the residence and closed the door behind her. The sergeant asked the woman if anyone was inside the residence. Just then, a man armed with a weapon opened the door. The sergeant acknowledged him and told him to put the firearm down. Footage from the sergeant’s body camera showed the suspect raise a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and begin firing rapidly at the sergeant at close range. As he moved from the porch to the ground, the sergeant fired nine rounds, and the investigator behind the car fired three rounds at the suspect. The suspect continued to shoot as he retreated into the residence, and the woman went to her knees on the porch. During the roughly 7-second exchange of gunfire, the suspect fired 12 rounds, seven of which struck the victim sergeant, killing him instantly. Although the sergeant’s body armor stopped one of the rounds, the other six struck the victim sergeant, including a fatal round that entered his front upper torso/chest through the armhole or shoulder area of his protective vest. The five other rounds struck him in his front lower torso/abdomen and rear lower torso/back. Another one of the suspect’s rounds went through the living room wall and struck the woman who was on the porch. The round entered and exited her left arm above her elbow. When the shooting stopped, a witness at the scene entered the residence against the order of the investigator and announced that the suspect was dead. The investigator then located the deceased suspect in a living room chair; he had been justifiably killed by two rounds fired by either the victim sergeant or the investigator. The 39-year-old suspect had a felony warrant, as well as a prior arrest for a drug law violation.

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California

A 34-year-old police officer with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was killed and two more CHP officers were wounded shortly after 5:30 p.m. on August 12, in Riverside. The first officer, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, was on a patrol motorcycle and stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation at 4:54 p.m. The officer determined that the driver of the vehicle was unlicensed; the officer then prepared to impound the vehicle. At 5:04 p.m., the second CHP officer, a 34-year-old with more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene to assist. Without warning, the driver, who was now standing outside his vehicle, reached into his vehicle, retrieved a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, and began firing at the officers. Footage from the assisting officer’s in-car dash camera showed that the officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect as the assisting officer radioed for backup. At 5:37 p.m., the third CHP officer, a 33-year-old veteran with nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene along with a fourth CHP officer; they joined the first two officers in the shootout. A short time later, officers from the Riverside Police Department and the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department arrived to assist. During the prolonged encounter, the suspect fired 120 rounds at the officers, and the officers returned gunfire with a total of 123 rounds. Three of the officers’ rounds struck the suspect, justifiably killing him. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Eight of the suspect’s rounds struck the officers during the exchange of gunfire. The first CHP officer, who was wearing body armor and a motorcycle helmet, sustained gunshot wounds to the arms/hands, the shoulder (upper torso) area when the round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his vest, and a fatal wound to the side of his head. He was transported by helicopter to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The second and third responding CHP officers, who were also wearing body armor, suffered gunshot wounds to the front of their legs. They were transported by patrol units to a local hospital. The suspect’s wife, who was sitting in a separate vehicle adjacent to the suspect’s vehicle, was injured by flying glass. She was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The 49-year-old suspect was under the influence of amphetamines/ methamphetamines at the time of the incident. He had a prior criminal record including aggravated assault (excluding officers), assault on a law enforcement officer (aggravated or simple), domestic violence, a drug law violation, murder, threats against a law enforcement officer, and a weapons violation. The third officer to respond recovered from his injury and has since returned to duty. However, at the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured officer who was second to respond had not returned to duty.

 *****

A 22-year-old police officer with the Davis Police Department was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack on January 10 at 6:43 p.m. Body camera and in-dash camera footage showed the officer, who had 6 months of law enforcement experience, responded to the scene of a traffic collision and was investigating the incident when an individual approached on foot, pulled out a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and fired multiple rounds at the officer from 10 to 15 feet away. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck by four rounds—piercing her front upper torso/chest and her neck/throat. At least one round entered between the side panels of her protective vest. The officer immediately fell to the ground; she never had a chance to react to the gunfire. The suspect opened fire on a nearby fire truck and a passing bus, then left and went to his house, which was within a block of the scene. The injured officer was rushed to the hospital where she succumbed to the neck/throat wound. Officers located the 48-year-old suspect at his residence and attempted to negotiate his peaceful surrender, but the suspect refused to cooperate. Early the next morning, he committed suicide. Officers found a letter written by the suspect that suggested he may have had mental health issues, including a belief that the police had beamed radio/microwaves into his head. The suspect had a criminal history that included aggravated assault.

 *****

On October 23 while answering a call for service, a 37-year-old deputy sheriff with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDCSO) was feloniously killed, and a deputy sheriff from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office (SJCSO), who was off duty but acting in an official capacity, was injured. Shortly after midnight, a caller contacted the El Dorado County dispatcher to report a possible theft in progress at the caller’s legal marijuana grow operation. The caller said he saw five suspicious subjects with flashlights in his field. The dispatcher directed deputies to the caller’s residence and marijuana operation, which were located on approximately 20 acres in rural El Dorado County near Placerville. Four deputies arrived at the scene and parked their patrol units at the end of a gravel driveway approximately 125 yards from the residence. The night sky was dark with no apparent moon, and there was no ambient light. The deputies walked toward the residence and around the back of the house but could not locate the marijuana field. One of the deputies contacted the owner to get directions to the field. The 37-year-old EDCSO deputy, a 6-year veteran of law enforcement, and the SJCSO deputy led the group up an incline in the direction of the field. Using their weapon lights for illumination, they arrived at the field and encountered one subject about 25 feet away. They directed their weapons on him and announced themselves. The subject immediately began firing toward the deputies using a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The two deputies located in front were in the open with no cover. They dropped to the ground, and all four deputies returned gunfire. In between volleys of gunfire, the deputies began to retreat; the 37-year-old EDCSO deputy collapsed to the ground. The other deputies dragged the unconscious deputy to an area of apparent safety. The assailant fled farther into the marijuana field and did not re-engage the deputies. In all, the assailant fired 11 rounds. Three of them struck the EDCSO deputy, with one entering above his body armor into his front upper torso/chest, mortally wounding him. He also sustained injuries to his feet. One round also struck the SJCSO deputy in his rear below the waist/buttocks. The 20-year-old assailant, an illegal alien residing in Mexico, suffered wounds to his front legs. He was arrested and charged with Murder, Assault with Firearm on a Person, and Attempted Conspiracy: Drugs.

 *****

A 31-year-old police officer with the Lemoore Police Department was shot and killed while off duty in Hanford when he attempted to defuse a domestic violence incident shortly after 9 p.m. on November 2. The 5-year veteran of law enforcement was unarmed when he learned of a subject who was beating and threatening to kill his pregnant girlfriend. The officer was familiar with the subject through a previous non-law enforcement relationship. Witness accounts and audio-video footage obtained from the residence showed that the officer, the subject’s father, and a family friend all intervened in the domestic dispute. They were able to get the girlfriend out of the house, but then heard a gunshot from inside the house. The officer and the subject’s father returned inside where they found the subject armed with several weapons. The subject fired a .40-60 semiautomatic handgun, and the victim officer was struck by rounds to the rear upper torso/back and was fatally wounded by a round to his front upper torso/chest. The offender also shot his father then shot and killed himself. Dispatchers received reports of shots fired at the residence, and additional officers arrived at the scene and found the victim officer and the offender both deceased. The offender’s father was critically wounded and transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The 32-year-old offender was reported to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

 *****

On July 27, a 24-year-old police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was ambushed and killed after intervening in a crime against property he witnessed while off duty. At 12:40 a.m., the officer, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, and his three companions purchased food from a street vendor. As they sat in their vehicle eating, the officer noticed a subject spray-painting graffiti on a sidewalk nearby. The officer, who was in plain clothes and armed with his service weapon, identified himself as law enforcement and told the subject to stop spraying paint. The subject displayed a revolver and declared himself to be a member of a street gang. The officer and his three companions subsequently got into their vehicle to leave the area, with the off-duty officer in the back seat. As they began to drive away, the subject and several other individuals approached the vehicle. The subject fired two rounds from his revolver into the back window of the vehicle, striking the victim officer and one of his companions, each in the front of the head. The driver drove the vehicle away from the scene and located an LAPD patrol unit, whose officers called for an ambulance. The victim officer succumbed to his wound at the scene. The victim officer’s wounded companion was transported to a hospital where he received medical attention and survived. On August 2, the 20-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with Murder.

 *****

A 26-year-old police officer with the Sacramento Police Department (SPD) was shot and killed during a domestic disturbance call on June 19 at 6:10 p.m. Earlier in the day at 11:43 a.m., an SPD dispatcher received a call from an individual who reported that, although she was uninjured, her live-in boyfriend had hit and pushed her and threatened her with a gun. She advised the dispatcher that there were five guns in the residence, and that her boyfriend routinely carried a pistol in his waistband and frequently threatened her with it. The individual had gone to a friend’s house to place the call and wait for the police to arrive. At 4:07 p.m., officers arrived at the friend’s house, including the 26-year-old SPD officer, who had 6 months of law enforcement experience. After interviewing the individual, they determined no crime had been committed, but they agreed to accompany the individual back to her residence to retrieve some personal items. At 5:41 p.m., they arrived at the individual’s residence. She attempted to open the front door, but it was barricaded from the inside. The individual advised the officers that she also owned the residence next door. With her consent, the officers went next door, conducted a protective sweep, and located two AR-15 style rifles inside. Officers devised a plan to clear the numerous outbuildings located in both back yards before engaging with the boyfriend. At 6:10 p.m., when the officers began to search a detached garage, the 26-year-old SPD officer stood near the entryway. The suspect opened fire from inside the residence, 50 feet away. Three rounds struck the SPD officer who was standing near the entry of the garage. The fatal round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of her body armor and struck her front upper torso/chest. She also suffered injuries to her rear head and arms/hands. Officers and SWAT team members soon surrounded the residence. Over several hours, the suspect sporadically exchanged gunfire with the officers using a .223-caliber rifle and a .224-caliber rifle. He fired a total of 149 rounds and was wounded during the shootout, possibly by shrapnel, in the front of his head and his arms/hands. The victim officer succumbed to her injuries that day. No other officers were injured by the suspect’s gunfire. At 1:53 a.m. on June 20, the 45-year-old suspect surrendered and was taken into custody. When they swept the property after the incident, officers recovered an explosive device. The suspect was charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, and Possession of an Assault Weapon. He had a criminal history that included a conviction as an adult and probation. At the time of the incident, he was not wanted, but was known by law enforcement to be a violent offender. His previous charges included domestic violence and a drug law violation.

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Georgia

On July 7 at 11:15 p.m., a 28-year-old deputy sheriff with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was shot and killed in Gainesville as he performed a high-risk traffic stop and foot pursuit. The deadly incident began with a car chase involving four suspects who were under investigation for recent burglaries and were under surveillance for motor vehicle theft. Earlier, HCSO deputies had identified several stolen vehicles and placed GPS locators on them. The
28-year-old deputy, who had 3 years of law enforcement experience, took over surveillance of the vehicles at shift change. At some point, the suspects departed in one of the stolen vehicles. The deputy pursued them, making a traffic stop. The suspects fled in the stolen vehicle from the traffic stop, crashed the vehicle, and HCSO deputies, who had joined the chase, pursued the four suspects as they attempted to escape on foot. Body camera footage showed deputies and the suspects exchanged gunfire during the pursuit. One suspect fired a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the 28-year-old deputy, fatally wounding him in the front lower torso/abdomen below his body armor. Before he collapsed, the injured deputy returned gunfire, wounding the suspect with four rounds. First responders transported the victim deputy to a nearby medical center, where he was pronounced deceased. The 17-year-old suspect was taken into custody and transported to a hospital, where he was treated for several nonfatal gunshot wounds. The suspect was charged with Murder, Fleeing, and Theft of a Motor Vehicle. At the time of the incident, the suspect was on judicial supervision that involved conditional release pending criminal prosecution. Subsequently, officers located and arrested the three other suspects who fled from the stolen vehicle the night of the incident.

 *****

A 51-year-old investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office was killed on November 19 while conducting a proactive patrol to deter gun violence in Augusta. Just before 8:30 p.m., investigators and other law enforcement personnel observed a group of individuals in front of a store. One subject from the crowd entered the store to avoid contact with law enforcement, and one investigator entered the store to attempt to conduct a field interview with him. As the subject attempted to evade the investigator and exit the store, another investigator entered the store. Security camera and the investigator’s body camera footage showed that the subject produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and shot the entering investigator, a veteran of law enforcement with 17 years of experience, in the front upper torso/chest above his body armor. The investigator who was still in the store and a third investigator who was outside returned gunfire, a total of 10 rounds, at the offender as he ran from the store. The offender was struck once in the rear upper torso/back. The victim investigator and the offender were both transported to a local medical center, where the veteran investigator succumbed to his wounds. The 24-year-old offender was on probation and known to be a drug dealer and to have gang affiliations. He had a criminal history that included assault on a law enforcement officer and a drug law violation. He recovered from his wounds and was charged with Murder, Possession of a Firearm During a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Aggravated Assault, Probation Violation, and First-Degree Burglary.

 *****

At 8:10 p.m. on May 11, a 50-year-old sergeant with the Savannah Police Department (SPD) was shot and killed while investigating an armed robbery. The sergeant, a 10-year veteran of law enforcement, was called to a business’ parking lot where an armed robbery had occurred an hour prior, around 7 p.m. The suspect initially fled the scene, but the 911 caller reported that the suspect had returned. The sergeant and two SPD officers arrived at the area and observed the suspect sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot near where the robbery occurred. Body camera footage of the incident shows that when the suspect saw the officers approaching, he exited the vehicle and fired three rounds from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the officers, fatally striking the sergeant in his waist/groin area, below his body armor. A 40-year-old police officer (with nearly 1 year of law enforcement experience) was also wounded in the front of his leg during the shooting. The suspect fled the scene on foot with the third SPD officer in pursuit. A bystander directed the pursuing officer where the suspect had fled, and the officer found the suspect exiting a shed in a nearby backyard, still brandishing the weapon. The officer fired three rounds from his patrol rifle, striking the suspect. The downed suspect was taken to a nearby medical center, where he died of his injuries. The victim sergeant was transported to the hospital as well, where he succumbed to his wounds later that night. The injured police officer, who was also wearing body armor during the incident, was treated for his gunshot wound and released. At the time of the incident, the suspect was on parole and had a criminal history that included aggravated assault, assault on a law enforcement officer, a drug law violation, robbery, resisting arrest, and a weapons violation. He was known by the agency to be a drug dealer and a violent offender.

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Illinois

On June 25 at 1:35 p.m., a 39-year-old deputy sheriff with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while answering a call for service in rural Avon. The deputy, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, and three other officers reported to a residence in response to a battery and disturbance call. At some point during the incident, the deputy ran onto the front porch toward the front door. Without warning, a subject inside the residence shot the deputy in the front upper torso/chest with a shotgun. The deputy’s body armor stopped the round, limiting the injury to blunt force trauma. The deputy jumped off the porch to create distance between himself and the location of the gunfire. The suspect fired another round, fatally striking the deputy in the rear upper torso/back above his protective vest. After a 19-hour standoff, the suspect exited the residence without further incident. The 42-year-old suspect was charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder. Once officers were able to safely extract the victim deputy, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. The suspect had a criminal history that included assault on a law enforcement officer, domestic violence, resisting arrest, and a drug law violation. He was known to be a violent offender who had a history of assaulting/threatening law enforcement officers.

 *****

Shortly before 5:30 a.m. on August 23, a trooper with the Illinois State Police (ISP) was shot and killed while attempting to execute a search warrant at a residence in East St. Louis. The 33-year-old veteran trooper, who had more than 10 years of law enforcement experience, was a member of the ISP SWAT team serving the warrant along with the ISP Zone 6 Investigations Metro East Police Assistance Team. As team members approached the home, an individual inside the residence began firing on them with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. One round struck the trooper, who was wearing body armor and a ballistic helmet, in the front of his head. The victim trooper was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Several team members returned gunfire before arresting a 45-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol and crack/cocaine. The suspect, who had a criminal history that included a drug law violation, was charged with Murder, Armed Habitual Criminal, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, Armed Violence, and Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance.

 *****

On March 7 at 9 a.m., a 35-year-old deputy sheriff with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office was killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant in Rockford. The veteran officer, who had nearly 13 years of law enforcement experience, was part of a U.S. Marshal’s task force that approached a hotel room to serve an arrest warrant on a 39-year-old subject who was on parole and wanted on a felony warrant. When the officers knocked on the subject’s door, an individual partially opened the door but left the chain attached. A moment later, another individual (the wanted subject) fired multiple rounds through the door and wall, using a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. While the officers attempted to withdraw and take cover, the subject repositioned himself at a window and fired at the deputy sheriff, striking him in the rear upper torso/back above his body armor and fatally in the rear head. The subject fled in a vehicle and led officers on a high-speed chase until he crashed. After a lengthy standoff, officers arrested the subject and charged him with Murder and Felon in Possession of Firearm. The subject had a criminal history that included aggravated assault, assault on law enforcement officer, domestic violence, a drug law violation, resisting arrest, and a weapons violation.

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Louisiana

At 1:40 p.m. on September 20, a 58-year-old captain with the Mandeville Police Department (MPD) was killed and a 26-year-old MDP officer was injured while answering a call for service. The incident began when the officer, who had 3 years of law enforcement experience, attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by two people. The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued. Footage from the officer’s body camera showed the driver began firing at the officer’s vehicle, injuring the officer in the front of the head. The officer, who was wearing body armor, returned gunfire. He struck the suspect’s vehicle with his marked patrol unit, and the suspect’s vehicle crossed two lanes of traffic and crashed into a ditch by the highway. The captain, a veteran of law enforcement with 30 years’ experience, also assisted in the pursuit and was on the scene. The suspect fled on foot and began shooting with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. One round struck the captain in the front upper torso/chest, fatally injuring him. The 21-year-old suspect was apprehended the same day and charged with First-Degree Murder of a Peace Officer, Attempted Second-Degree Murder of a Peace Officer, Aggravated Flight from an Officer, and Illegal Possession of Stolen Firearms. He had a criminal history that included a drug law violation. The passenger, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, was interviewed and released. The wounded officer sustained moderate injuries and has returned to duty.

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Michigan

A corporal with the Detroit Police Department (DPD) was killed and a DPD police officer was injured while responding to a home invasion in progress around 7 p.m. on November 20. Upon arriving at the scene, the 46-year-old corporal and the 32-year-old police officer parked one house north of the residence being invaded and met with two women from the residence outside on the street. When the women told the officer that the intruder had a large firearm, they notified dispatch to advise other officers in the area. Because there were no lights on inside the residence except for in the basement, the officers checked the windows with their flashlights and saw no movement. However, when the corporal walked down the driveway to check the side of the house, he heard footsteps, so he retreated and called for backup. Once a couple of backup units arrived, officers unlocked the front door with keys provided by the homeowners and announced themselves, receiving no response. The officers entered the door, split up into smaller groups, and began clearing the residence. Other officers stayed outside to cover the basement door and the front entrance. The first officers to respond—the corporal who had 16 years of law enforcement experience and the police officer who had 3 years of law enforcement experience—led three other officers downstairs toward the basement. The corporal announced their presence and shouted multiple verbal commands. Before the officers reached the bottom of the stairs, a gunshot rang out and the veteran corporal fell to the ground. Officers could not determine where the shot came from. After a brief pause, the offender fired more rounds. The other four officers sought cover by running up the stairs and out of the residence. As the last officer made it to the top of the steps, he was struck with a round in his rear legs. The 32-year-old victim officer ran outside and collapsed in front of one of the patrol units. Another officer dragged him behind the vehicle as the offender, who had apparently run up the steps and out a side door, fired several more rounds, then fled into a nearby alley. Meanwhile, two officers taking cover with the victim officer attempted first aid, loaded the injured officer into a patrol unit and transported him to a hospital where he was treated and expected to recover. At the residence, officers called for backup, and within minutes more than 40 DPD officers swarmed the area, some to assist at the residence and others to canvass the neighborhood for the offender and to direct traffic from the congested area. Officers found a rifle that the offender had dropped and a trail of blood. One of the women advised an officer that she was the offender’s girlfriend, told him of a recent domestic situation with the offender, and showed the officer a picture of him on her cell phone. As some officers began clearing the residence again, one officer entered the side door with his weapon drawn. He immediately saw the victim corporal lying at the bottom of the basement stairs and radioed for emergency medical services. Officers carried the victim corporal outside to one of the patrol units and transported him to the hospital. Shortly after their arrival, the victim corporal died from the fatal gunshot wound received in his neck/throat, above his body armor. As officers continued to canvass the neighborhood, they saw a handprint on a garage door a few streets away and radioed for backup. Other officers noticed someone lying under bushes in front of a residence near the garage. When they ordered the individual to show his hands, there was no response. One of the officers grabbed the individual’s legs and pulled him out. The officer immediately recognized the individual as the offender from the photo previously provided and observed a large gunshot wound on his right forearm with the bone exposed. One officer called for medical personnel and another officer tried to stop the bleeding. Officers secured the offender with handcuffs before medics transported him to the hospital. The 28-year-old offender, who has a criminal history that includes a weapons violation, had been recently released from parole. He was arrested and charged with Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter (Voluntary) and Aggravated/Felonious Assault.

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Mississippi

On May 5 at 10:04 p.m., a 58-year-old patrol officer with the Biloxi Police Department was killed in an unprovoked attack. The officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 24 years’ experience, responded to the police department’s parking lot in reference to a domestic altercation complaint that was made in-person in the lobby of the police department. The officer’s body camera recorded the incident. While the officer was speaking with the complainants in the parking lot, an armed suspect crept up behind him and fired a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun in his direction. The suspect fired nine rounds from a distance of one foot; six rounds struck the officer. The suspect then fled the scene, running north. The victim officer sustained wounds to his neck/throat and rear lower torso/back below his body armor. The local fire department and emergency squad responded and transported the victim officer to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased from his neck/throat wounds. Law enforcement officers with the Gulfport Police Department and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department investigated the incident and arrested an 18-year-old suspect on May 6. The suspect, who had a prior conviction, was charged with Capital Murder. His criminal history includes a drug law violation.

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At 2:30 p.m. on December 12, a constable with the Panola County Justice Court Constable’s Office was killed in Batesville during the pursuit of a stolen motor vehicle. Two juveniles had stolen a vehicle in Charleston, which is approximately 30 miles south of Batesville. Charleston officers pursued the vehicle as it neared Batesville. The 58-year-old constable was alone in his marked patrol unit and was waiting with several Batesville officers to assist. The subject in the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle drove around the waiting officers and struck the constable’s vehicle. The constable, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 27 years of experience, died instantly from blunt force trauma. Both the offender and his passenger survived the wreck. The 16-year-old offender was immediately arrested and charged with one count of Felony Murder.

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Missouri

A 40-year-old police officer with the North County Police Cooperative was shot and killed shortly after 4:30 p.m. on June 23 while attempting to arrest an individual. The incident happened as the officer was responding to a call to investigate a reported larceny-theft at a local food market in Wellston. The owner of the food market called police and reported an individual was trying to pass a stolen check for more than $6,000 in the store. When the officer arrived at the scene, he met the store owner, who described the suspect to him. The officer located the suspect inside the store and approached him. The suspect tried to leave the business, but the veteran officer, who had 17 years of law enforcement experience, told him to stop. The suspect continued to walk toward the exit. The officer followed him and pulled out his handcuffs as he prepared to detain the suspect. The suspect pulled away from the officer, and a fight ensued. The officer radioed dispatch for assistance and dragged the suspect to the ground to gain control over him; however, the suspect broke free and stood over the officer. Footage from the business’ security camera showed the suspect pulled a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and fired a single shot, striking the officer in the neck/throat. The suspect left the scene, but minutes later another officer apprehended him a short distance from the market. The suspect had dropped the firearm on the ground near where officers arrested him, and officers found the stolen check in the suspect’s pants pocket. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later. The 26-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, Resisting Arrest, Unauthorized Use of a Weapon, and Passing a Bad Check. He had a criminal history that included aggravated assault (excluding officers), assault on law enforcement officer (aggravated or simple), a drug law violation, resisting arrest, robbery, and a weapons violation.

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North Carolina

An officer with the Mooresville Police Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop at approximately 10:15 p.m. on May 4. The 32-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 5 years of experience, stopped a vehicle in the parking lot of a business for a suspected suspended license. The driver provided identification documents to the officer, who processed the information in his marked patrol unit. The officer, who was wearing body armor, returned to the individual’s vehicle. The individual unfastened his seatbelt and rifled through the front passenger area of the vehicle looking for additional documents. While handing the documents to the officer, the individual retrieved a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun he had been concealing under his right thigh. He fired three rounds at close range, two of which fatally struck the victim officer in the side of the head. The suspect then fled the scene in his vehicle, leaving his identification on the ground. Passersby saw the victim officer in the roadway, called 911 for assistance, and began conducting CPR on the victim officer. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The suspect drove to his residence where responding officers found him deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The 28-year-old suspect had been arrested twice for driving while intoxicated and was on conditional release, pending criminal prosecution, at the time of the incident. The incident was captured on video footage from the victim officer’s body camera, his patrol unit’s in-dash camera, and an outdoor security camera from the nearby business.

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Ohio

On February 2 at 8:37 p.m., a 42-year-old deputy sheriff was killed, and a 48-year-old lieutenant was wounded, both with the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office, when they responded to a report of an armed suicidal subject who had barricaded himself inside his residence at a Pierce Township apartment complex. The incident began at 7 p.m. Both officers were veterans of law enforcement; the deputy had 22 years of experience, and the lieutenant had 23 years of experience. Around 8:30 p.m., responding officers were negotiating with the subject when they heard him inside the apartment counting down an alleged suicide threat followed immediately by shots fired. A small group of officers with the Clermont County Special Response Team (CCSRT) decided to breach the door of the residence to attempt life-saving measures. During the breach attempt, the subject fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, fatally wounding the deputy and injuring the lieutenant. Neither of the officers fired on the offender. The offender fired 23 rounds from a distance of 8 feet, wounding the deputy in the front upper torso/chest, rear lower torso/back, and on the front and rear of his legs. The fatal round entered below his body armor in his lower back area. The lieutenant, who was also wearing body armor, was wounded in the front of his legs; he was treated at a local hospital and released. Officers called the entire CCSRT and the Cincinnati SWAT team for backup. During the prolonged standoff, the offender fired multiple rounds at CCSRT vehicles. The CCSRT launched numerous canisters of gas into the residence in an attempt to safely extract the offender. When a fire erupted inside the residence at 6 a.m. on February 3, the offender surrendered and was taken into custody. The 23-year-old offender, who was under the influence of cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines/methamphetamines at the time of the incident, was charged, and later indicted and arraigned, on a Weapons Law Violation, Aggravated Murder, and multiple counts of Attempted Murder. His criminal history included a drug law violation, robbery, and a weapons violation. The wounded lieutenant has since recovered from his injury and has returned to duty.

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On November 4, a 55-year-old detective with the Dayton Police Department was killed while serving a narcotics-related federal search warrant as part of a Drug Enforcement Administration task force. Shortly before 7 p.m., a group of law enforcement officers knocked at the door of a residence, announced their presence, then forced open a side door and entered. The detective, a law enforcement veteran with 30 years of experience, headed down the stairs toward the basement in search of suspects. A subject hiding in the basement fired on the detective with a 5.7x28 mm semiautomatic handgun. Although the detective was wearing body armor, two rounds struck him in the front of his head, mortally wounding him. Assisting officers disabled the suspect with chemical/pepper spray and an electronic control weapon. The wounded detective was transported to the hospital in a patrol unit. Officers arrested the 39-year-old suspect, along with two other adults and one juvenile who were also inside the residence. The suspect, a known violent offender and dealer of controlled substances, was charged with First-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. His criminal history included aggravated assault, assault on a law enforcement officer, and a drug law violation. The other three arrestees also face federal charges related to the search warrant and the detective’s homicide. The detective succumbed to his injuries on November 7.

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Puerto Rico

 A 37-year-old sergeant with the Manati Municipal Police Department was shot and killed on May 25 in Vega Baja when he intervened in a carjacking attempt while off duty. Just after 1:30 a.m., the sergeant, a law enforcement veteran with nearly 16 years of experience, and his friend arrived in the parking lot of a club that was closed. Footage from a nearby business’ outdoor security camera shows that four masked men confronted the pair as they sat in their vehicle. The suspects, who were known to be members of a violent gang, demanded the vehicle’s keys. The sergeant’s friend relinquished the keys as the sergeant identified himself as a law enforcement officer and drew his service weapon while still seated in the car. An exchange of gunfire ensued in which one of the suspects fired 14 rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and struck the sergeant eight times. The victim sergeant was wounded in the arms/hands and fatally in his rear upper torso/back. The victim sergeant fired seven rounds, fatally striking one of the suspects five times; however, the 25-year-old suspect who shot the officer was not struck and was arrested the same day. The arrested suspect had a prior criminal record.

 *****

Around 8:30 p.m. on February 15, a 52-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico was shot and killed during the investigation of a drug-related matter. A 17-year veteran of law enforcement, the agent was working undercover to investigate illegal drugs and weapons trafficking at a business on the west area of the island. A vehicle drove past the location, and someone from inside fired multiple rounds at the veteran agent. He suffered a fatal wound to his front lower torso/abdomen. Although the event was recorded on closed-circuit television from a camera located on a nearby building, the identity of the offender remains unknown.

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Tennessee

 A 65-year-old sergeant with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office died on February 26 from wounds he suffered while answering a call for service three days earlier in Blountville. Around 7:30 a.m. on February 23, the veteran sergeant, who had 27 years of law enforcement experience, and other deputies responded to a residence to check the welfare of a subject who told family members he planned to commit suicide. When the sergeant and deputies arrived at the scene, they attempted to contact the subject; however, the subject did not respond. When the deputies tried to enter the residence through the front door, they were met with gunfire from inside. They retreated to areas of cover. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, took cover behind his marked patrol unit. A law enforcement negotiator spoke to the suspect, who was emotional and noncompliant, and directed him to exit the residence. The suspect told the negotiator he intended to shoot the deputies; then he ended the conversation. Under the influence of alcohol and drugs, the suspect began firing at the deputies with a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle equipped with a telescopic sight. As the sergeant emerged from the cover of his patrol unit, the suspect shot him in the side of the head. The suspect fired a total of 23 rounds at the officers from a distance of 53 feet. The deputies returned fire with 22 rounds of their own and rushed to assist the victim sergeant. During the shootout, one of the deputies’ rounds struck the suspect in the rear lower torso/back before the suspect committed suicide inside the residence. The victim sergeant was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries three days later. The 44-year-old suspect had a previous arrest and a prior conviction.

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Texas

A 35-year-old deputy sheriff with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office was fatally wounded on March 22 while conducting a traffic stop. Just after 2 a.m., the deputy, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 11 years’ experience, activated his patrol unit’s emergency lights and requested another patrol unit to assist as he made a traffic stop. Before assistance arrived, the deputy exited his patrol unit and approached the driver’s side of the stopped vehicle. Footage from the deputy’s body camera showed that the driver willingly answered the deputy’s questions and complied when the deputy asked him to exit the vehicle, first showing his hands out of the window and putting his wallet on top of the vehicle. However, as the driver exited his vehicle, he concealed a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun behind his leg (it was under his leg when he was inside the vehicle). As the offender stood up, he fired rounds toward the deputy’s face. The deputy attempted to gain distance by running toward his patrol unit when four rounds struck him in the front legs and fatally in the rear lower torso/back below his body armor. When the victim deputy fell to the ground, the 27-year-old offender approached and severely beat the victim deputy in the front of the head with the handgun. The offender, who was on conditional release pending criminal prosecution at the time of the incident, was arrested that same day. He had a criminal history that included domestic violence and a drug law violation. The victim deputy was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries on March 24. The offender was charged with Capital Murder.

 *****

A 42-year-old deputy sheriff with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office was fatally wounded on September 27 at 12:44 p.m., while conducting a traffic stop in Houston. The veteran deputy, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. As the deputy spoke to the driver of the vehicle, he began to suspect the driver had provided him with a false name. In the process of investigating his suspicion, the deputy, who was wearing body armor and a body camera that was recording the interaction, made multiple trips between his marked patrol unit and the stopped vehicle to speak to the driver. The deputy was unaware that the driver was wanted for aggravated assault. On the deputy’s final trip to his patrol unit, the suspect exited his vehicle and approached the deputy from behind. When he was 5 feet from the deputy, he fired one round from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, which struck the deputy in the rear of his head. The suspect returned to his vehicle and fled; officers apprehended him a short distance from the scene. The victim deputy was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injury. The 47-year-old suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident, had a criminal history that included prior arrests and convictions for aggravated assault, robbery, and a weapons violation. He was charged with Capital Murder of a Peace Officer.

 *****

A 44-year-old corporal with the Mission Police Department was fatally wounded while answering a call for service on June 20. At 8:05 p.m., a woman waved down a police officer along a highway near a residential area and claimed that her son had shot at her vehicle. As the corporal, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 18 years of experience, proceeded toward the scene to assist other officers with locating the individual, he observed the suspect walking beside the highway. After exiting his patrol unit, the corporal, wearing body armor and a body camera, attempted to make contact with the suspect. However, the suspect fled from the corporal and other approaching officers and headed toward a parking lot in a residential area. As he ran, the suspect turned, pulled a .45-caliber automatic handgun from his waistband, and fired at the veteran corporal. The corporal and other officers returned gunfire. During the exchange of gunfire, the suspect fired a round that struck the corporal in the front of his head. The suspect was also struck by gunfire and justifiably killed at the scene. The victim corporal was transported to a nearby medical center, but he succumbed to the gunshot wound in the front of his head at 10:05 p.m. The deceased 33-year-old offender had a criminal record that included both adult and juvenile convictions as well as prior arrests for assault on a law enforcement officer, domestic violence, a drug law violation, and resisting arrest.

 *****

A 28-year-old deputy sheriff with the Panola County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed at 2 a.m. on December 31 while making a traffic stop in Gary. Body camera footage showed the deputy, who had over 4 years of law enforcement experience, pulled over a vehicle and was approaching it on foot when the driver suddenly exited the vehicle with a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle and began firing. The suspect struck the deputy in the front of his legs; however, the deputy was able to draw his service weapon as he fell and return gunfire, striking the suspect in the leg. The suspect continued to fire at the deputy, striking him in the neck/throat area and fatally in the front lower torso/abdomen, with at least one round that penetrated the deputy’s body armor, exceeding the vest’s capabilities. The suspect fired a total of 15 rounds at the deputy, six of which struck him. The suspect then fled in his vehicle. A nearby resident heard the shots fired and found the deputy on the ground in front of his patrol unit and called for help using the patrol unit’s radio. Another witness heard dispatchers relay the description of the suspect’s vehicle and observed it traveling on a nearby highway. The second witness followed the suspect and gave his location to the police before the suspect shot at and hit the witness’s vehicle twice. The 47-year-old suspect fled over the state line into Caddo Parish, Louisiana, where Shreveport Police Department officers pursued and arrested him after he crashed his vehicle. The suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident, was charged with Capital Murder of a Peace Officer. He had a criminal history that included a drug law violation, a weapons violation, and charges for robbery and murder.

 *****

On December 21 at 3:45 a.m., an off-duty detective with the San Antonio Independent School District Police Department was killed while working a security assignment at a local 24-hour restaurant. The 50-year-old veteran detective, who had 28 years of law enforcement experience, went out to the restaurant’s parking lot to break up a fight. Two men involved in the fight assaulted the detective and ran over him with a vehicle. The victim detective sustained multiple blunt force trauma injuries that resulted in his death. The 23-year-old offender was arrested the same day. He had previous arrests and convictions as a juvenile and an adult. The 29-year-old offender was arrested the following day. He had a criminal history that included a drug law violation and a weapons violation. Both offenders were charged with Capital Murder of a Peace Officer or Fireman.

 *****

A 48-year-old trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol was seriously injured on April 6 at 8:42 p.m. while responding to a two-vehicle traffic crash in Edinburg. The trooper, who had 3 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the crash scene where witnesses told him that one of the drivers had just left the scene on foot. The trooper located the subject three blocks away, running on the sidewalk. The trooper drove up alongside the subject and parked. As the trooper exited his vehicle, the subject, who was under the influence of alcohol, pulled a .357-caliber revolver from his waistband. Both the trooper and the subject opened fire almost simultaneously from a distance of 15 feet. The trooper fired five rounds but did not hit the suspect. The suspect fired six rounds. Two rounds struck the trooper. He suffered injuries to the front of his head and to his shoulder (upper torso) area when a round entered his body armor via the armhole or shoulder area of the vest. The suspect fled the scene on foot. A local resident called 911 to report the downed trooper, who was then transported to an area hospital. Approximately 4 hours later at 12:41 a.m., another local resident advised two Edinburg Police Department officers of a suspicious person walking through a residential area about six blocks from the shooting site. When the officers located and confronted the suspect, he began firing at them. One of the officers returned gunfire, wounding the suspect. He threw down his weapon and fled on foot, but within 5 minutes, several officers stopped his escape. Emergency personnel transported the suspect to a local hospital. On April 7, the 24-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with Capital Murder of a Peace Officer. His criminal history included an assault on a law enforcement officer and a weapons violation. On August 24, the victim trooper succumbed to his head wound at the age of 49.

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Utah

A 29-year-old master officer with the Provo Police Department was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect just before 10 p.m. on January 5. The master officer, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, and another officer responded to the parking lot of a business in Orem where they attempted to apprehend a suspect who was wanted on multiple felony warrants. Upon contacting the suspect as he sat in a parked vehicle, officers commanded him to show them his hands and to open the vehicle door. When the suspect refused to comply, the other officer entered the vehicle through the passenger-side door and tried to restrain him. At the same time, the suspect attempted to flee in the vehicle, but it struck a patrol unit and the storefront before coming to a stop in the parking lot. As the suspect continued to resist the other officer’s arrest attempts, the master officer also entered the vehicle’s passenger door to assist. During the struggle, the suspect shot the master officer, who was wearing body armor, in the left side of his body with one round from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The round passed between the side panels of the master officer’s ballistic vest and entered his front upper torso/chest. The victim officer fired one round, striking the suspect in the abdominal area. Officers then took the suspect into custody, and both the victim officer and the suspect were transported to a hospital for treatment. The victim officer succumbed to his injury that day. The 40-year-old suspect, who was known to law enforcement as a drug dealer and was under the influence of amphetamines/methamphetamines at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with Homicide. He had a criminal record that included a drug law violation, a weapons violation, and resisting arrest. Body cameras worn by both officers, as well as footage from a witness’ cellular phone, recorded the incident.

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Virginia

A 23-year-old master-at-arms with the U.S. Navy Security Forces died when his vehicle was struck head on by another vehicle on a military base at Virginia Beach shortly after 7:30 p.m. on November 30. As the driver approached the gate to the facility, he accelerated the vehicle and drove on the wrong side of the road to avoid the gate and gain access to the military base. Gate Security Forces notified the dispatcher of the situation. The master-at-arms, who was wearing body armor, drove to the area where the vehicle was located with his lights and sirens activated. At an intersection on the base, the two vehicles collided head on. The victim master-at-arms, who had 10 months of law enforcement experience, was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased from blunt force trauma. The offender was also transported to a local hospital, but he survived his injuries. The 38-year-old offender, who had a criminal history that included aggravated assault and a weapons violation, was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter.

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Washington

On April 13 around 10:15 p.m., a 29-year-old deputy sheriff with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack while responding to a traffic complaint near Kalama. Around 10 p.m., the deputy, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 8½ years’ experience, arrived at the scene where a vehicle and a motorhome were blocking a road. The deputy exited his patrol unit. Minutes later, a subject fired five rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at the deputy, who was wearing body armor. The deputy’s protective vest stopped one round from piercing his front lower torso/abdomen, but another round entered through the armhole of his vest, striking him in the front upper torso/chest. The deputy radioed that shots had been fired and he had been hit. He gave dispatch a physical description of the suspect and advised that the suspect fled on foot. The victim deputy succumbed to his injury after being transported to a nearby hospital. Assisting officers responded to the area within 5 minutes and put out a description of the suspect. During the subsequent investigation, officers gained a lead on the identity of the suspect. Multiple law enforcement agencies joined in the manhunt. The following day around 7 p.m., officers from the Kelso Police Department located the suspect driving a vehicle on a narrow road. The suspect shot at the officers, but his weapon malfunctioned. The officers returned gunfire, striking and justifiably killing the 33-year-old suspect. Officers located the jammed firearm near the suspect’s body as well as two bags of methamphetamine in a shoulder bag he was wearing. The suspect was a known drug dealer with a criminal history that included a drug law violation, resisting arrest, robbery, and a weapons violation.

 *****

Just after 7:30 p.m. on March 19, a 42-year-old deputy sheriff with the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) was killed and a 22-year-old police officer with the Kittitas Police Department (KPD) was wounded while answering a call for service. Prior to the incident, an individual who was driving called to report a suspicious vehicle that appeared to be following the caller. The veteran deputy, who had 12 years of law enforcement experience, arranged for the caller to lead the unknown vehicle to him at a nearby location. The deputy tried to pull the vehicle over when it approached his location; however, the subject fled. During the ensuing vehicle pursuit, the deputy attempted a pursuit intervention technique, hoping to force the subject to stop, but the maneuver was unsuccessful, and the pursuit continued. A two-officer KPD patrol unit joined the pursuit, including a KCSO training deputy providing field training to a KPD officer who had 1 year of law enforcement experience. The subject pulled into a mobile home court and suddenly exited his vehicle while it was still moving. The first responding deputy exited his patrol unit, and as he turned the corner around the subject’s vehicle, the subject fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from 10 feet away and fatally shot the deputy in the front upper torso/chest above his body armor. The training deputy and the officer arrived to see the victim deputy take three steps then fall to the ground. The suspect fired two more rounds. The first struck the victim deputy’s holster and pistol, welding them together. The second round passed through the driver’s side door of the KPD patrol unit, striking the officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front leg as he exited the vehicle. The training deputy, who was on the passenger side, exited the KPD patrol unit and fired five rounds at the suspect. One of the rounds struck the suspect in the head, justifiably killing him. The incident was recorded by a dash camera inside the KPD officer’s patrol unit, as well as a nearby outside security camera. The 29-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of amphetamines/methamphetamines at the time of the incident, was in the United States illegally and had overstayed his visa. The wounded KPD officer has since recovered from his injury and returned to duty.

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Wisconsin

On February 6 at 9:19 a.m., a 35-year-old police officer with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) was killed while attempting to serve a search warrant. The officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 14 years’ experience, was working as a member of MPD’s Tactical Engagement Unit to serve a no-knock warrant on a suspect believed to be illegally purchasing and selling firearms and marijuana. The tactical team, who were all wearing body armor, ballistic helmets, and body cameras, approached the back of the suspect’s residence from a nearby alley. One officer covered two other officers while they used a ram to break down the back door. After the first door strike, an officer announced, “Police! Search warrant!” and a second door-strike opened the back door to the multiple-occupancy building. Throughout the encounter, officers continued to loudly declare, “Police! Search warrant!” Three officers began climbing the back stairs to the upper unit where the suspect lived. The door to the unit was locked, so the 35-year-old officer used a one-person ram tool to create a large opening in the door. Almost immediately, the suspect fired four rounds from a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic handgun through the opening. One round entered the victim officer’s protective vest through the armhole/ shoulder area and struck his shoulder (upper torso) area. An assisting officer stepped toward the opening, aimed his rifle into the residence, and observed the suspect with his hands in the air. Officers took the suspect into custody, while other officers carried the victim officer out of the building and into the back yard. Officers and medics attempted life-saving measures until an ambulance and rescue personnel arrived to transport the victim officer to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injury. A search of the suspect’s residence resulted in the seizure of nine firearms, an electronic control weapon, parts for assault rifles, two digital scales, and $3,000 in cash. The 26-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Intentional Homicide, two counts of Use of a Dangerous Weapon, First-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, and Maintaining a Drug Trafficking Place. He had previous arrests including a weapons violation and resisting arrest.

 *****

A 49-year-old police officer with the Racine Police Department was killed on June 17 at approximately 9:30 p.m., during an armed robbery at a bar. The officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 24 years’ experience, was off duty in plain clothes and sitting at the establishment’s bar when a masked person entered the bar area, firearm drawn. The offender rushed behind the bar, leading the bartender toward the cash register. The off-duty officer leapt over the bar and attempted to disarm the offender. During the struggle, the offender was able to back up enough to shoot one round from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at the officer. The round struck the officer in his front upper/torso, and he fell to the ground. The offender fled the building through the kitchen. When responding officers arrived at the scene, a retired paramedic, who was also at the bar during the attempted robbery, told them the victim officer was not responding and had no pulse. Members of a local fire department arrived, evaluated the victim officer, and confirmed that he had not survived the gunshot wound. Investigating officers reviewed footage from the bar’s security cameras, which showed the offender wearing a mask, walking down the street, and approaching the bar’s back door. The offender spoke to two people who were outside smoking and then entered the building. The inside camera recorded the rest of the event. The 26-year-old offender was arrested on June 28 and charged with First-Degree Intentional Homicide, Armed Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. His criminal history included charges for robbery, domestic violence, aggravated assault, and a weapons violation. He was on parole at the time of the incident.

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